Ch.16755. Everything Was Ablaze.

Just as we expect heroes, wouldn’t the One above also have someone they particularly favor?

Father, you alone among many heroes slew the golden beast.

Therefore, it wouldn’t be strange if you monopolized that favor.

Though I have no intention of judging the One, even I might have shown special interest in a hero like you, Father.

…And.

Perhaps they might even place expectations on your child as well.

If that’s what has shaped my path like this… ironically, this was neither what I wanted nor planned.

However, according to the teaching that souls are eternal,

Whatever happens, it means that my current self is not the first.

Then soon, there was a previous life and an even more distant past.

What if when I existed then, that version of me passed something on or entrusted something to my current self?

What if I was born to fulfill some purpose or plan?

That would clearly be me, yet not the me I am now.

Reincarnation.

Life returning.

The cycle.

…Thinking in this structure, my misfortunes and miseries, and the growth based on them, make some sense.

Even the law of cause and effect fits perfectly with this theory.

Though certainly not in the way we would want.

Of course, even this remains in the realm of speculation.

Thinking, pondering, hypothesizing—anyone can attempt it.

Just as ancient philosophers, magicians, and theologians formed various worlds with diverse theories and subjects.

“And Tiamat was probably… a victor who was also defeated. Her husband was… what was he called again?”

-Abzu. Also known as Kingu.

“That Kingu can’t be the same one, can he?”

-I told you, didn’t I? Tiamat’s husband had the same name. And back then, it was an era where goddesses were dominant rather than gods. Even Athena was originally designated to overthrow Zeus and claim the divine throne. In reality, she was also part of the primordial mother goddess who submitted to Zeus. That’s why she became his daughter. And Zeus accepted this as well.

“Primordial… mother goddess?”

-If I called her the serpent deity, you’d find it hard to understand. The mythology about this is rather ambiguous in your world.

He’s speaking in literal riddles.

“Anyway… since you were created with Kingu’s blood, you bear original sin. If I take this literally… they lost in the war for the divine throne or struggle for supremacy, and as a result, were created as a species. Is that correct so far?”

-For now, yes.

“But even among these created beings, there needed to be leaders and guides to manage and lead them…”

-Among those who sided with Marduk instead of Tiamat, those who became human received corresponding benefits.

“And in reality, whether it’s Marduk… or Enlil or Tiamat, they share the same root. Is that what you’re saying?”

-It could be, or it might not be.

“……”

-I can’t help it. That’s the truth.

If you expect everything to fit together neatly like a mathematical formula, you’ll only get a headache.

Still.

“The World Tree, you might call it. How observers and watchers interpret it—that defines their existence in the world. Is that what you mean?”

-Marduk might be Marduk, but depending on how the world illuminates him, he could also be Zeus, or Caelus, or even Anu (𒀭𒀭).

“If it’s Caelus (CAELVS), then Uranus (Ουρανός)? But Anu is…”

-We’d never end if we discussed each one. They are all one yet many, singular yet identical entities. Simply put… are you and your parallel world self truly the same being? Are you equal entities? That’s the question.

“…I understand.”

So in the end.

The being that the World Tree focuses on becomes orthodox history, and the rest becomes unofficial history. Is that the meaning?

That’s just a metaphor—in reality, everything would be considered orthodox history.

“Then…”

Suddenly.

A frightening thought occurred to me.

“If the World Tree gained will, it could make any world true… but it could also turn it into falsehood, couldn’t it?”

-You’re slow to realize. The demon realm has already become like that, hasn’t it?

It seems the situation is far more absurd in scale than I had imagined.

My eyes just haven’t been able to grasp its magnitude yet.

-However. If one could remove such will from them. Then such variables would disappear.

“……”

-When that time comes, you all will probably become… a little freer.

Just a little bit.

“How many destructions and downfalls have we repeated?”

-The buildings you construct sometimes burn and collapse, but even so, you rebuild them and continue living, don’t you? It’s just like that.

The birth and death of life follows the same flow when you think about it, doesn’t it?

-Before the principles and providence of the great cycle, individuals tend to become quite insignificant.

“Fine. That’s as it may be. But isn’t it about time you taught me what Grandeus wanted me to obtain here?”

-You’re straying from the point again. I told you, once it’s decided, that’s the end of it.

“…Does that mean it’s decided yet not decided?”

-It depends on what you do.

Whether to grasp the fire sword that burns through the world.

Whether to obtain the wind that calms the sea.

Whether to take the tablet inscribed with fate or heaven.

How about the arrow that pierced the throat of the sea?

Or perhaps Thunder?

“……”

More riddles.

This feels even more malicious than when I received the sword forged by Grandeus’s arrangement.

“And if I erase the existing world, I’ll be given authority and opportunity. Is that what’s called a Demon King in our world? While you call them challengers?”

-That’s right. It’s not difficult at all, is it?

“……”

-Isn’t it truly a cheap causality?

Those who don’t pull down the privileged suffer from pain, discomfort, injustice, and deficiency until they perish.

Meanwhile, the privileged…

They enjoy and continue to enjoy… but always fearing usurpation… they must protect what they have.

…What a truly fleeting battleground.

To some, this would look like nothing but hell, no matter how you view it.

Even to me, it appeared that way.

-If you don’t like it, you can change it. This is a law, a world, a principle that was created because someone liked it.

“……”

A devastating story.

“It’s like an expanded version of… how you determine Demon Kings in your demon realm.”

-Exactly. Even the Law of Reason was established as a governing tool with that in mind.

The ruler, governor, and overseer of the world… can inscribe their own laws and principles.

However… since creating everything anew would be troublesome, they tend to follow existing patterns.

From there, by infusing their own colors and engraving their own marks,

They build their own world.

-The way humans form families, societies, groups, nations, and faiths—they’re all like preliminary practices for this.

But there’s one problem.

-Chaos and order. Good and evil are absolute, but.

“……”

I should stop this conversation here.

I had a feeling that continuing would only give me a headache without resolving anything.

These are probably the kind of things that would have been better left unknown.

What difference is there between unbearable knowledge and deadly poison?

Poison kills the body, but…

…heart poison kills the mind and soul.

In the end, death is death.

“……”

In that sense, I felt the need to revisit an issue I had taken for granted.

“Then, what exactly were those giants I encountered?”

Immortal beings whose souls had departed and reason had vanished.

But they must have been giants in ancient times.

-They would be traces of defeat and downfall.

“……”

-Why don’t you find out for yourself?

I have no choice, it seems.

Once again, I read into the past.

The dark scene before my eyes transforms.

However, for some reason, a different world from before was unfolding.

Since the location was the same, there shouldn’t have been major changes.

…But somehow the statue had collapsed.

The room was also terribly damaged.

“……”

Things had changed.

And I realized.

I had pressed Heba with questions based on what I had understood.

How she interpreted my words and intentions when she suddenly disappeared…

Depending on her personality and tendencies, it would differ.

But I have a bad feeling about this.

All of this would have happened in the distant past.

But for Heba…

…it would be the present, and for someone who can see the future, the future could soon become reality.

The fact that she could communicate with me as I glimpsed the past clearly showed her abilities were extraordinary.

If she began to wield that power deliberately, intentionally…

…What would happen?

The building shakes.

From far away come screams, shouts, and wails…

I leave the room.

Torches illuminate the interior, but many people are moving hurriedly somewhere with anxiety and fear.

Since this is the central part where windows are unnecessary, I might need to go further out to observe the exterior.

When I stop peeking, darkness and silence return.

As expected, the giant’s body that had been sprawled on the ground was visibly embedded at the far end of the corridor.

I climb the wall and move along the ceiling and some pillars.

“……”

The one who called himself Zeus said.

These were their original enemies.

That could be interpreted to mean:

These beings challenged their divine positions.

And the fact that they ended up in such a state means their challenge turned into a failed rebellion.

In other words, it means they failed.

Reaching a place where I could see outside the building wasn’t particularly difficult.

However.

It’s blocked.

Some places have collapsed, others are completely sealed by debris.

And there were traces that suggested intentional blockage, clearly visible.

Places and spaces that should have been open were all sealed shut, as if with the clear intention of not allowing even a single breathing hole.

“……”

But.

What I needed right now wasn’t a window to look outside the ruined remains.

Perched on an upper pillar, I read into the past again.

The high space of the blocked rectangular window was visibly wide open.

And what I witnessed was:

Fire demon.

The world was completely ablaze.

As if a wind made of fire had swept through the entire city.

Or as if a river of fire had covered the entire city at once.

…Everything was burning fiercely.

The screams and wails became clearer.

At this moment, in this era, an inescapable destruction was arriving.